[Archived] Blackpool

[HemelRover]

Hollowhead should just go back to whichever farm he came from in Norfolk!

Wrong side of the country Hughesy. Hollowhead is from Bristol.

[Valois]

It's definitely a grey area.

Blackpool have every right to rotate their team, as much as Arsenal do. If Holloway decides that they are good enough to be in his squad, then he has every right to play them.

There has to be consistancy, if you are going to fine one team for making wholesale changes for a game, you have to fine the other, regardless of the quality. IMO

[cn174]

Because they have stronger squads and remain competitve when they make changes. Like Linganzi says,the results are academic.

I understand that they have better squads so therefore their lower down players are better, but then isn't that not just penalising small clubs for being not as good?

[Hughesy]

Wrong side of the country Hughesy. Hollowhead is from Bristol.

Maybe - but he sounds like a right farmer giles!

[sambo]

If Arsenal play a second string squad, yes it's still competitive. But the chances of them drawing or losing are increased, which gives an unfair advantage to the team they are playing with this team. It's not brain science! Yes they're still good, but not AS good. In the same way Blackpool are always average, just below average with a second string team. The two cases are the same.

[Guest linganzi]

That's not the point though. Why is it ok for Arsenal and Man U to play a very weakened team, but not for Blackpool or Wolves?

These teams were punished for writing off matches and looking to the next ones. The big teams can use the squad rule to the full

[American]

These teams were punished for writing off matches and looking to the next ones. The big teams can use the squad rule to the full

Arsenal was using their squad rule to write off certain matches and look to the next one... No difference. Just because the second team is better, that doesn't mean anything, it's still the second team. Maybe the bottom 3 squads should be punished for not buying better players for their starting 11?

[colin]

This is so unfair it really defies belief.

So far the only two clubs to come under the cosh for this rule are Wolves and Blackpool.

Anyone here want to put a case for Manchester United; Chelsea; or Arsenal having never put out an 11 who were not their first choice. They do it all the time against weaker teams and the chances of them being punished are nil.

Each club has a 25 player squad.

How on earth can the FA keep a check on all 500 squad players in the premier league and then decide, above the judgement of the 20 managers, which is the best starting 11?

We're all Rovers' supporters and even we can't agree on our best starting line-up if we had a squad of 25 available.

Perhaps if the FA asked for the team sheets before KO and then suggested amendments to the managers so that they could avoid fines?

I'd pay good money to sit back and be able to watch the outcome. Wouldn't you?

[Parsonblue]

Maybe - but he sounds like a right farmer giles!

He's also done an excellent job at Blackpool and will hopefully keep them in the Premier League.

[Guest linganzi]

To be honest the rather patronizing Blackpool praise is getting tiresome.

Holloway has done relatively little, he and his club have come to the end of the road and making continuing admin errors as well as footballer ones . Let's just enjoy watching them implode.

If you can't realise that the bottom line is that holloway thought he would play clever buggers despite what happened to wolves, even bearing in mind the slight caveat of the rules , and field a team that was barely 4th choice that lost a game that they were never going to win, and you can't realise that arsenal etc have the depth of 5 teams then perhaps you should give in, you would be best supporting a championship club like Blackpool with their championship facilities, championship attitude, championship interpretation of the rules.

Further to this , this is just another example of holloway playing funny guy with the powers that be and it back fires massively.

Also remember that you are rovers fans and we would not see our club get drawn into these sort of shambolic antics so why entertain it from others? We have been part if setting a,standard and this clown show appear on the scene and undermine us ll with their farce

[King Kenny's Magic]

If Arsenal play a second string squad, yes it's still competitive. But the chances of them drawing or losing are increased, which gives an unfair advantage to the team they are playing with this team. It's not brain science! Yes they're still good, but not AS good. In the same way Blackpool are always average, just below average with a second string team. The two cases are the same.

How can you seriously compare the gooners second string to blackpools? On paper the Blackpool team looked like it would roll over to Villa. That's the difference.

[Valois]

How can you seriously compare the gooners second string to blackpool's? On paper the Blackpool team looked like it would roll over to Villa. That's the difference.

Your missing the point, it's not about comparing the 2nd string, it's the impact it has. Arsenal play their 2nd string, still a decent side, but the chances of beating them or getting a draw increases. Same as when Blackpool field their 2nd string, the chance of beating them increases.

The FA can't enforce one rule on one team, and not on another. How the hell is that fair? There has to be consistancy, and the rule has to be made clear.

[Dunnfc]

What about the start of the season when all there home games were switched to away so at the end of the year when they are struggling they will be playing all home games!

No undersoil heating causing games to be called off.

About time the FA clamped down on them, They have to realise they are playing the big boys now.

[cn174]

No undersoil heating causing games to be called off.

Fulham dont have undersoil heating and they've been in prem for 10 years.

[Guest linganzi]

They are treating the league that which we are one of the few winners as a joke.

Fulham dont have undersoil heating and they've been in prem for 10 years.

And in those ten years managed to avoid having 3 home games in a row called off . Blackpool don't want to take things seriously

[JoeBlueWhite]

To be honest the rather patronizing Blackpool praise is getting tiresome.

Holloway has done relatively little, he and his club have come to the end of the road and making continuing admin errors as well as footballer ones . Let's just enjoy watching them implode.

If you can't realise that the bottom line is that holloway thought he would play clever buggers despite what happened to wolves, even bearing in mind the slight caveat of the rules , and field a team that was barely 4th choice that lost a game that they were never going to win, and you can't realise that arsenal etc have the depth of 5 teams then perhaps you should give in, you would be best supporting a championship club like Blackpool with their championship facilities, championship attitude, championship interpretation of the rules.

Further to this , this is just another example of holloway playing funny guy with the powers that be and it back fires massively.

Also remember that you are rovers fans and we would not see our club get drawn into these sort of shambolic antics so why entertain it from others? We have been part if setting a,standard and this clown show appear on the scene and undermine us ll with their farce

Blackpool know their clubs facilities don't match upto most Championship clubs let alone us with what 15 years Premiership experience. They are a tiny club money wise even by Championship standards.

Their fans seem to be a pretty chilled out lot who arn't too cocky [compare them to ###### PNE fans]. Most were just looking for a laugh this year and to use the Premiership money and parachute payments to strengthen as a top Championship side. Now they look like staying up and maybe building from there.

Lets face it they have a weak squad who are giving the likes of ManU and Liverpool all they can handle. Love or hate Holloway he has done something special.

[Guest linganzi]

The fans are good, I mix and work with a lot , fine good on them.

It's oyston and hollowAY pushing their luck and taking the ###### out of their own fans

And as for firing up an unexpected team to take in big boys ? Easiest job in football. What else has holloway on his cv?

[sambo]

How can you seriously compare the gooners second string to blackpools? On paper the Blackpool team looked like it would roll over to Villa. That's the difference.

And Arsenal's team looked less likely to win than their full string would have.

And Blackpool didn't roll over, they were unlucky. Think their manager knows his squad more than anyone, and picks who he wants.

Did anyone ever see Blackpool getting into the Prem? Never got close, and with half my family from there I was proud of them - I would love them to stay up, as long as it isn't at our expense. The trip to Bloomfield Road was top notch too

[joey_big_nose]

And as for firing up an unexpected team to take in big boys ? Easiest job in football. What else has holloway on his cv?

How is that easy? How many teams have come up a division like Blackpool, played attacking football and got very good results? Burnley managed it for the first half of last season, Reading managed it a few years back. It is a difficult task and should be respected. Especially in relative terms Blackpool are the poorest side financially to ever played prem footy.

[Guest linganzi]

How is that easy? How many teams have come up a division like Blackpool, played attacking football and got very good results? Burnley managed it for the first half of last season, Reading managed it a few years back. It is a difficult task and should be respected. Especially in relative terms Blackpool are the poorest side financially to ever played prem footy.

no money

no expectation

no pressure

no problem

[sambo]

no money

no expectation

no pressure

no problem

Are you for real?

If only it was that simple. He has done a great job.

It is not easy to get a bunch of previously lower league journeymen to compete, and compete well, in the Premier League.

If it's so easy without the pressure, surely you should take over some club a bit 'out of their depth' and succeed with no problems at all.

Their form is a minor miracle.

[67splitscreen]

Games being called off and rescheduled has hardly helped their cause wining one in their last six with five defeats.

As their away form is better than home the rescheduled games at home, Wigan is hardly a huge advantage.

As other posters have said he has done a sterling job, eleventh from bottom of the Chumps league I believe to winning promotion and looking like they will remain here on a wage structure lower than most other clubs in the top two tiers can only be lauded and I'm sure many club chairpersons are scratching their heads and asking questions of the manager, why we have to spend 5m and 40k a week for a squad player.

Sustaining the ride next season might be a different matter all together though.

[67splitscreen]

Wonder if our own Tony Parkes will get a cut from the Adam transfer.

[m1st]

I don't know whether this deserves a thread on it's own or not but I have a genuine talking point I'd like to raise.

Last season, Owen Coyle was lauded because he got Burnley promoted and was doing pretty well with them. He got poached by Bolton. Ian Holloway has got Blackpool promoted and is doing pretty well with them. He's not likely to get poached by another Premier League club is he? What's the difference? Apart from the length of their careers and Holloway's penchant for coming out with hilarious turns of phrase and a few rants, what is the difference between the two of them?

Owen Coyle got the credit for Burnley's success and the way they played. Charlie Adam seems to be the one most talked about at Blackpool but they play the same kind of attractive, attacking football as Burnley did. I wonder how much of it is Holloway...

Oh, I don't buy the idea Holloway's an idiot by any stretch of the imagination, I think he is a pretty smart cookie.

For want of something better to do at this time on a Saturday night [watching the ITV equivalent of MotD], can I throw in my twopennyworth?

When Ince was proving his inadequacy as a Premier League Manager, I told my mates during our pre-match pint that we ought to be going for Coyle as his replacement. [i knew it'd never happen because of who he was managing at the time.]

The difference between Coyle and "Ollie" is that, so far, Coyle's not yet had a failure as manager here or north of the border - Bolton may yet prove to be that club - Holloway has; and in Division 2-really [sorry, "The Championship".]. Fwiw, I reckon that Coyle is one of a number of Scottish managers [Moyes, Kean] who can cut the mustard as manager of a Premier League club which isn't blessed with mega-money.

[Parsonblue]

To be honest the rather patronizing Blackpool praise is getting tiresome.

I really can't see why you should be so upset about people appreciating the excellent work that Holloway has done in taking Blackpool to the position they are in. He's done it on virtually no money and against all the odds. As one who remembers playing the likes of Bolton, Burnley and Blackpool in the old First Division in the early 60s, I'm very happy to see them back in the top flight. Long may it continue. That's not patronizing praise, but a genuine hope that they survive. Their approach is different but so far is proving very successful and I must say that I've thoroughly enjoyed what I've seen on them so far this season.